What are you guys running for off road protection on your H2s? For H3s it's sliders, OEM UCP, and Hunner skids - or similar. I plan to get sliders for my H2, but I'm not sure what my options are for the other stuff, or if it's really needed. Maybe the stock setup is good enough? My H3 UCP got a bit banged and scraped up, I'd hate to have seen what might have happened without the added protection.
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protection?
- Thread starter skeptic
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The OEM sliders should be sufficient - were they on the truck you bought? If not, they are reasonably easy to find at a decent price.
For UCP, the rubberduck stuff seems to be the best. Wheeled with one guy whose strategy of getting over rocks was to head right into them with the rubberduck UCP and it always held up.
Don't think much else is needed
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
For UCP, the rubberduck stuff seems to be the best. Wheeled with one guy whose strategy of getting over rocks was to head right into them with the rubberduck UCP and it always held up.
Don't think much else is needed
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
I have Rocky Road sliders, they can take a beating. The factory UCP bends very easy. Went through two of them. Now running Rubberduck, I have bent up the rear section, it is awesome. One thing with the Rubberduck is that it extends further back than the OE, it covers the tcase as well. The factory tcase shield is a joke.
It came with tube steps instead of sliders so I'll need to pick up either OEM or rocky-road sliders. I saw the Rubber Duck UCP, but I wasn't (and still am not) sure if $900 UCP is needed for an H2 the same way UCP is needed on an H3. I try to avoid banging the bottom on rocks, but even still I needed it on my H3T.
Good info. Not sure how, but I didn't see this post before my last reply. Sounds like I need to budget about $1,500 before my first "real" wheeling trip.. And another couple grand for new tires or wheels+tires. :cry:
If you have the tube steps on there now, you also have the stock rock rails/sliders they mount to them. I bent up a couple pairs of the factory rails. it got to the point where I couldn't attach my U step
twinmill28
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The deuce's factory protection is sufficient for you and the type of wheeling you do in Utah---unless you've lost your mind and stepped up to the kind of (wreckless) wheeling that I do!
I know your past experience comes from the last several 3's you've had, but the deuce actually has ground clearance and won't bang on the rocks like its little brother does...:wink:
In the wheeling I was able to do in Utah the most damage I did was scratch the snot out of the powdercoat under the passenger door factory rail. It never bent and rarely did I find myself banging off of rocks that high up into the truck. As the other guys said, you've got factory rails (all deuces do), that's what your tube steps are bolted to. Take those off and you're ready for the trails. If you manage to bend them (doubtful), then I'd look into upgrading.
BTW---whats your update after owning a deuce for awhile? Likes/dislikes??
I know your past experience comes from the last several 3's you've had, but the deuce actually has ground clearance and won't bang on the rocks like its little brother does...:wink:
In the wheeling I was able to do in Utah the most damage I did was scratch the snot out of the powdercoat under the passenger door factory rail. It never bent and rarely did I find myself banging off of rocks that high up into the truck. As the other guys said, you've got factory rails (all deuces do), that's what your tube steps are bolted to. Take those off and you're ready for the trails. If you manage to bend them (doubtful), then I'd look into upgrading.
BTW---whats your update after owning a deuce for awhile? Likes/dislikes??
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Are we talking about wheeling over the parking blocks at the mall? Sorry Twin buddy. Out here in Cali we have rocks, really ****ing big rocks. My sliders have gouges on them three quarter ways up. Got a few more in Moab. Stock rails work, but seems the 3 rails are better than the 2's
twinmill28
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We never found rock gardens around that area of Utah (that I know of). Had I found them, I probably would have avoided them as I don't have the stomach for that kind of carnage.
We crawled around and over a fair shair of rocks on the mountain that tore the crap out of my tires, big chunks, but not bouncing over any of those big suckers.
BTW--I only mess with parking blocks at the mall for my poser pics.....
We crawled around and over a fair shair of rocks on the mountain that tore the crap out of my tires, big chunks, but not bouncing over any of those big suckers.
BTW--I only mess with parking blocks at the mall for my poser pics.....
Ok, so the tube steps come off and leave factory sliders. This is great news, I had no clue. Over the summer I went up mineral basin in my T, no lift on 35" tires. The sliders and UCP got a work out. I haven't crawled under the H2 to really check it out yet (crappy winter weather here and my 2 lives in the driveway), but it seems the H2 stuff is better tucked up and protected. Plus the H2 wheelbase is about a foot shorter and the H2 sits a bit higher. I can accept that factory sliders are sufficient for most UT trails. If I bend a stock slider, I'll replace it with a Rocky-Road.
An update? At this point I'd say you are correct on all counts. The 2 is big and comfortable, and needs 37" tires for looks if nothing else. I suspect you are also correct on the suspension/steering parts that need replacing, although Murdock Chevy gave me the run-around and decided it just needed adjustment when I asked them to pay during the 5 day "no questions asked" return period. I'll let Jerry Seiner have a look when it's time for my next oil change. One other thing you were right about, the interior rattles a bit on rough roads. Nothing as bad as the windshield rattle, more of a subtle creaking, but all in all my H3 and H3T just felt and sounded a bit more solid.
I think it will work out well for me, but until I get it out on some trails and do some wheeling I remain unconvinced that it's better off-road than an H3 Alpha w/off-road package. Either way, if one is slightly better than the other it's not going to matter. I can still get out and wheel it, get to all my camping spots, and the H2 has a lot more room for people, gear, and my dogs. To put it another way, I bought the H2 only because I gave up on finding an H3 Alpha/off-road for a reasonable price within 100 miles. If I had to do it over and could choose between an H2 and the kind of H3 Alpha I was searching for I'm not sure which one I'd pick. It's rapidly growing on me.
Back to the Mineral Basin run I was talking about... Here is a video I found on youtube of the trail. No clue who they are, and I ran it much later in the season when it was dry, but it shows roughly the first half or 2/3 of the trail. Skip to around 3:20 to see the part of the trail called the rock garden. It should be clear why my sliders and UCP got a work-out on my T. I'd be surprised of twin never ran this trail, it's fairly popular...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4IjbA_3vxU
edit: I really didn't enjoy the rock garden area. Tons of big loose rocks, getting thrown around, lots of potential damage... That was my second time running it, the first time was years ago in a Cherokee with about 5.5" of lift and 32" tires and snow blocked the trail just past the rock garden. I think the second time will be my last. It's just not a fun trail to me.
An update? At this point I'd say you are correct on all counts. The 2 is big and comfortable, and needs 37" tires for looks if nothing else. I suspect you are also correct on the suspension/steering parts that need replacing, although Murdock Chevy gave me the run-around and decided it just needed adjustment when I asked them to pay during the 5 day "no questions asked" return period. I'll let Jerry Seiner have a look when it's time for my next oil change. One other thing you were right about, the interior rattles a bit on rough roads. Nothing as bad as the windshield rattle, more of a subtle creaking, but all in all my H3 and H3T just felt and sounded a bit more solid.
I think it will work out well for me, but until I get it out on some trails and do some wheeling I remain unconvinced that it's better off-road than an H3 Alpha w/off-road package. Either way, if one is slightly better than the other it's not going to matter. I can still get out and wheel it, get to all my camping spots, and the H2 has a lot more room for people, gear, and my dogs. To put it another way, I bought the H2 only because I gave up on finding an H3 Alpha/off-road for a reasonable price within 100 miles. If I had to do it over and could choose between an H2 and the kind of H3 Alpha I was searching for I'm not sure which one I'd pick. It's rapidly growing on me.
Back to the Mineral Basin run I was talking about... Here is a video I found on youtube of the trail. No clue who they are, and I ran it much later in the season when it was dry, but it shows roughly the first half or 2/3 of the trail. Skip to around 3:20 to see the part of the trail called the rock garden. It should be clear why my sliders and UCP got a work-out on my T. I'd be surprised of twin never ran this trail, it's fairly popular...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4IjbA_3vxU
edit: I really didn't enjoy the rock garden area. Tons of big loose rocks, getting thrown around, lots of potential damage... That was my second time running it, the first time was years ago in a Cherokee with about 5.5" of lift and 32" tires and snow blocked the trail just past the rock garden. I think the second time will be my last. It's just not a fun trail to me.
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poncho1965
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Nice vid, looks like a fun trail, but not on 33's.
Mike
Mike
twinmill28
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Not sure that the deuce will outwheel a 3T w/Adventure, but I can guarantee it will be alot smoother, much less dramatic journey in the deuce. Where I found the 3 can plain wear you out after a day of wheeling (and sweating rolling it over), the deuce is just so much smoother, and has just a little more flex to take a lot of that worry out of the equation.
As for AF Canyon, one of the other forum members (D1RK) lived down there, but we never went wheeling and I found it just too far to drive for a day of wheeling so I never made it out there. Had I known it was that pretty and such a cool looking trail, I'd have taken the trailer and camped somewhere out there for a long weekend. I never ran any rock gardens while in Utah; that one looks hairy and I'd have given it a college try (and probably broken some parts with my wheeling style).
I can say with certainty that AF Canyon will be alot more fun wheeling in the deuce than the 3 would have been. I can also say for peace of mind that bringing spare tie rods and probably a CV would be a great idea. They're easy enough to replace in the deuce.
As for AF Canyon, one of the other forum members (D1RK) lived down there, but we never went wheeling and I found it just too far to drive for a day of wheeling so I never made it out there. Had I known it was that pretty and such a cool looking trail, I'd have taken the trailer and camped somewhere out there for a long weekend. I never ran any rock gardens while in Utah; that one looks hairy and I'd have given it a college try (and probably broken some parts with my wheeling style).
I can say with certainty that AF Canyon will be alot more fun wheeling in the deuce than the 3 would have been. I can also say for peace of mind that bringing spare tie rods and probably a CV would be a great idea. They're easy enough to replace in the deuce.
AF Canyon has a bunch of trails, and I've been led to believe that the Mineral Basin trail is the hardest. I wouldn't even say that the rock garden is the most challenging part, it's one of the harder stretches but more than that it's the most sucky part. Plenty of other great trails in AF Canyon, but I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon. Lots of good camping, tons of trails... Unfortunately they have been widening sections, improving the roads, and generally making access easier. Along with those changes, it's becoming over populated.